The Big Problem With Not Taking Risks In Your Career (And 8 Steps To Fix It)

I don’t know if you have a story like mine, but I spent a big chunk of my career stuck in neutral. I was a consultant, and I never really pushed myself outside what felt comfortable for me, even though I wasn’t hugely happy with what I was doing day-to-day. I was good at it, the money was good, blah blah blah blah. Sure, I did some informational interviews and tried some things, but I spent most of my time in non-productive thinking, focusing on what I didn’t have, instead of staying focused on what I wanted.

I really enjoyed doing things like picking apart my salary, comparing it unfavorably to other people’s salaries, bitching about why I didn’t make even more money, and wishing that I did (but I never thought about how more money would help cure my job dissatisfaction - do you notice a theme here?). I did what people told me “would be good for promotion” and took on projects that would “build my resume.” Even though I was pretty sure I didn’t want my resume to be built in *quite* that way.

Basically I played small and stayed safe, and because I was safely in my comfort zone - nothing changed.

The problem with not taking risks in your career is exactly what happened to me: nothing changes. And when nothing changes, that is when you feel the most trapped, stuck and alone.

Of course, it’s EASY to stay where you are. There is a lot a LOT of pressure to be stable in your career, and under that pressure is a lot of legitimate fear. I stayed in consulting because it made me feel safe, everyone told me it was a great job, and I wasn’t confident in myself. I listened to them rather than listening to my heart, and it kept me in a place long after my “sell-by” date. This is what I wish I had known:

“Everyone” is not you - I listened to “conventional wisdom” and felt really guilty that I wanted something more than I had. It kept me small, and it made me unhappy.

You deserve to have a job you LOVE. You totally deserve it and I want you to have it.

So let’s take some of the pressure off. To increase your comfort zone, you could do something amazing for your career. But what? (This is often where we stop. THE PRESSURE!)

So, let’s actually not start there. Let’s start with something amazing for yourself, to take away some of the fear about what else is out there lurking for you. This adventure is a process, and it’s ok to take some time to figure it out.

So choose something that makes you uncomfortable, and try it on. What can you do for yourself that pushes you outside of your comfort zone? Something that you have always wanted to do, but haven’t done yet? (Bungee jumping? Read a book by yourself at dinner in a restaurant? New hair cut?)

Ok, now go do it. I’ll wait.

Now, what did that experience teach you about yourself? What do you want to remember and use to help you move forward?

WRITE IT DOWN!

(Writing things down helps us process them!)

Great work!!

Now, you know the next step, right? Yes! It’s time to do something for your career that *may* make you feel just a little bit uncomfortable. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Make a list of people you’d love to meet in your job, and reach out to one of them. (Flattery is an excellent weapon here!).

Schedule a weekly lunch with a new person in your network every week, and concentrate on really connecting with them. Pick a new restaurant each time too, might as well really challenge yourself!

Make a list of everything you love about your day-to-day work, and everything you hate. Now re-write your job description based on the “I love” list, and see where that leads you.

Take your boss out for coffee.

Ask for a raise (I don’t care if you don’t think you need one, finding out what you are worth is always a good exercise).

Write an article and publish it in a variety of LinkedIn groups (and if you are feeling special, put it out on Facebook as well).

Stretching your comfort zone and doing something different is the first step towards playing bigger in your career and making your career happy. Though, I recognize that it’s not fair to ask this of you without telling you more about what I’ve done that makes me uncomfortable. So here it is: this month I went to Wakulla Springs Florida with my family and jumped off a two-meter platform into alligator infested waters. While wearing my running clothes. In the middle of the day.

Yes, I did look like an idiot.

I also screamed all the way down, but I did it. I jumped as a reminder that even things that are scary (heights and alligators) are also awesome, and most things aren’t so scary after you do them. I also did it because I’m launching a new program that takes women out of their norms and into Costa Rica - I wanted to remember that new experiences are wonderful. Even if they make me nervous. See, it’s not so bad!